


Safe in my Own Skin

by misslucy21



Category: NCIS: Los Angeles
Genre: Episode: s04e01 Endgame, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-06
Updated: 2012-10-06
Packaged: 2017-11-15 18:49:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/530517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misslucy21/pseuds/misslucy21
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In the boathouse, in the evening, after the "Prisoner" exchange.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe in my Own Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to Hagar for the beta work!

They went to the boathouse, because Sam said that Ops would have too many people right now.  Sam nudged G towards a chair, Kensi went to get the first aid kit and Deeks got G a bottle of water. 

“We’re going to go get some food,” Kensi said, jerking a thumb at the door. G sat and watched as Sam nodded and dragged a chair over to sit in front of him. This was how they always did it, with Sam’s knees bracketing his. Not close enough to touch, but close enough that he could stop G from jumping up. It was oddly grounding right now. 

“Come on, shirt up,” Sam said flipping open the first aid kit and pulling on some gloves, “Let’s see.”

“Nothing’s broken. They didn’t hit me that hard,” G answered. He pulled up the hem of his shirt anyway, because he knew Sam wouldn’t just take his word for it.

“Okay,” Sam said, running his hands down G’s ribs. They were dry and warm, and it almost felt good. Sam nodded. “Those look all right.” He fished a penlight out of the kit as G dropped his shirt back down.

“I don’t have a concussion, either,” G protested.

“Okay,” Sam said, implacably. He slid a hand behind G’s head to keep him from flinching and flicked the light at G’s eyes anyway. G winced at the light, out of habit, but Sam must have seen enough pupil reaction to reassure himself, because he tossed the penlight back into the kit and reached for the alcohol wipes.

G closed his eyes as Sam tilted his chin up to clean up the cut by his lip. The tension he’d lived with for the past three days was still there, but he was starting to loosen up in the quiet with Sam patching him up. 

“This one’s started bleeding again,” Sam said quietly as he dabbed at the cut up on his cheekbone. “I’m going to steri-strip it, okay?”

“Yeah,” G said.

“Hold still,” Sam said, as he pulled his hands away. G opened his eyes so he could see where Sam’s hands were. He watched silently as Sam pulled open the packet of strips and then carefully affixed one to his cheek.

“There,” Sam said, after he shoved his chair back. “You’re good.” He fished a packet of ibuprofen out of the kit and put them down next to G’s water.

G took the pills as he watched Sam clean up and put the kit away. He jumped as the door opened, but it was just Kensi and Deeks returning.

“Burgers,” Kensi declared, setting a sack down on the table. She pulled a burger out of the bag and handed it to G, then found him a cup of fries. She continued distributing food as G started to inhale the fries. It wasn’t until the fries were gone and he’d noticed a Coke sitting in front of him that he realized that this was the first meal he’d had in at least a day. He’d been too keyed up to realize he was hungry.

No one else was talking, either. G suspected they hadn’t eaten much more than he had lately. Everyone looked tired, too, as they kept giving him surreptitious relieved looks. G didn’t mind, since he kept looking to make sure they were all still there, too. They’d all known it wasn’t real, but there’d been no guarantees that he’d come out of his encounter with the Iranians in one piece. He was fine –he really was– but it had been a lousy week.

Sam’s phone beeped and he shifted to pull it out of his pocket. He read the message, then said, “Granger. Says not to come back in today. Everything else can wait for the morning.”

“Good,” Deeks said, fervently. Kensi nodded, her mouth full.

“Yeah,” Sam agreed.

G didn’t say anything. He had just realized that he’d finished eating his hamburger without even noticing. Yeah, he was tired. But, he was starting to feel like he’d settled back into his own skin. Food. And Team.  It was comfortable, and safe. He wondered about that a second, but decided he was too tired to deal with it now. Later, maybe. Or not, since it was really kind of nice.

He didn’t notice that his eyes had closed until Sam said, “Hey, G, you still with us?”

“Yeah,” he said, blinking his eyes open. “I’m good.” He looked around. Everyone had finished eating and Sam was cleaning up the table. Deeks had leaned back in his chair, with his head tipped back to the ceiling. Kensi was leaning tiredly on the table, too.

“You want to go home?” Sam asked.

“Yeah,” G said, but he didn’t move to get up. Sam came back and sat down when it became obvious that no one else was interested in moving just yet. They all just sat for awhile, letting the lengthening shadows wash over the room. No one moved to turn a light on.

Finally, Deeks stood up and stretched. “Come on, Kens. I need a ride back to my car.”

“Yeah, okay,” Kensi yawned, standing up.

“You going to be okay to drive?” Sam asked.

Kensi nodded. “I’m fine.”

Sam nodded back. “See you in the morning.”

“Yup,” Deeks said as he followed Kensi out the door.

“You ready?” Sam asked.

“Okay,” G said, shoving up. He looked around before he remembered that he didn’t have his bag here. “Where _is_ my bag, anyway?” He’d had it when he’d came to work three days ago, but he hadn’t had it when he went to the LAPD lock up and he hadn’t been back to Ops since.

“In my car,” Sam said.

“Oh,” G said. “That’s good.”

Sam chuckled. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Yeah,” G said, following Sam out into the twilight. He took a deep breath and tipped his head back to look at the sky. Another deep breath and he was in the car, letting Sam drive him home.


End file.
